Permutation lock for savings banks



W. E. TAIT PERMUTATION LOOK FOR SAVINGS BANKS NOV. 15', 92

Filed Dec. 1'7. 1926 dfiwflieg Patented Nov. 15, 1927. V

i f UNITEDXSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILFRED E. TAIT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, :ASSIGNOR TO HAROLD J. CLARK, OF

' BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. r

PERMUTATIONLOCK FOR SAVINGS BANKS.

Application filed December 1' 7, 1926. Serial No. 155,474.

My present invention relates to permutation locks for savings banks. a V 1 A principal object of my present invention is to provide a small, compact, portable savings bank, the exterior casing of which will comprise the operating means for the locking instrumentalities.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bank which it will be impossible to open except by the 'personeknowing the combination, whereby the locking means may be released and the bank opened.-

Astill further object is'the provision of such a bank which will be economical of manufacture, simple of assembly, and positive in operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide automatic means which will prevent the escape of money through theentrance provided therefor, and thus prevent pilfering from the bank until such time as the person controlling the same desires to. open it. It will be appreciated that by havingv its locking means controlled by .meansof a combination is much safer and more difficult to'open than one which is controlled I by a key or other means. I have, therefore, devised my presentbankwith a lock of apermutationtypeQso that it can be utilized in a great many ways. F orrexample, savings banks could issue these small portable banksto' depositors,-the bank retaining the combination, the ,depositor torethe bank would then open the small portable bank by means of the combination,

credit the amount to the depositors 210- combinations of parts, details and advan tages, will be herein more fully pointed out and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating a preferredembodiment. of my invention,

turn the same to the bank when full, and

Fig. 1 is a side view of my completed bank inclosed position;

Fig. 2 is .a cross sectional view illustrating the bank in position ready to be opened;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view; 1 v

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view illustrat ing the notches and locking lugs inalinement, ready to be opened;

Fig. 5is a cross sectional View of the locking portion of the bank in fully locked position; g Y I Fig. '6 is a cross sectional View illustrating the notches in alinement with the locking lugs out of alinement; f

Fig. 7 is across sectional view illustrating my novel automatic means for preventing the escape of money through the entrance; ,and g 7 Fig. 8 is a fragmentary. cross sectional view in enlarged detail of the locking lugs and notches or recesses alined to permit opening.

As shown in the drawings, my novel bank is constructed of an outer casing, comprising two portions or members 1 and 2, the portion 1 having thereon a combination dial arrangement with the letters A, B, C, etc., with corresponding notches or indications for each letter, and the lower member 2. has thereon an arrow 3 adapted upon rotation of either member to .be alined with any predetermined letter of the'combination. Each member 1 and '2' is provided with knurledportions 4, 4, to afford gripping means and facilitate rotation of the casing members. Secured to the casing member 1 by rivets 5 is a cylindrical sleeve 6 having at its lower portion a flange or shoulder 7, to which flange or shoulder are secured locking rivets or lugs 8. A projection or alining lug 9 is also formed, preferably as an integral part of the flange 7. Secured, preferably by a pressed fit in the extreme lower portion of the casing member'2 is a ring or sleeve 10, having therein a plurality of notches 11, here illustrated as three in number. This sleeve or ring 10 is press fitted into the casing member 2, in such -man1'1er as to prohibit rotation thereof. A,

'disc. or plate 12 is rotatably secured to the bottom of the casing member 2 by a'rivet 13, which rivet also engages a plate or disc 14.

The plate or disc 14 is preferably of s ring metal, and formed concave, exerting own.

and spring tension on the disc 12; that the disc '12 may be rotated, but only upon the application of pressure or force. The

disc 12 has formed therein notches 15, hereshown as three in number, and correspond-' ing to the notches 11. It will be noted that the distance between each of the notches 11, each of the notches 15, and the locking rivets 8 is different. Thus, until the notches 11, 15, and rivets 8 are alined, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, the component parts of the bank will be held in rigid, positive, locked position.

v In the top of the bank I have provided the customary coin entrance or slot 16. Within the bank, and preterablysecured thereto by a press fit is a member 17 having a slot 18 alined with the slot 16. Grooves 19 are provided at each end of the member 17, and a rod 20, preferably cylindrical, is free to slide vertically, in said slots or grooves 19. Thus, when the rod 20 is in the position'illustratcd in Fig. 2, the entrance of money may be effected. Q'n reversing the position of the 7 bank, however, viz tippingit upside down to extract money therefrom, the rod 20 will slidein the grooves19, effectually blocking the slots 18 and 16, and preventing the removal of money from the bank. I

The operation of my novel bank is simple, andwillbe readily understood. i

Assuming it to be desired to open the bank for any purpose, either portion 1 or 2 may be rotated. Preferably, however, the upper portion 1 is held, with the first letter of the combination to be dealt with racing the operator, and the lower portion is rotated one or more turns to the right, until the arrow 3 is in alinement with the indication for the letter with which it is tobe alined, in this instance it is the letter .P, which is not shown on the drawing Fig. 1. During this rotation, the lug 9 engages a leg 21 on the disc or plate. 12, rotating the said disc or plate against the tension of the spring 1 1 until the arrow has alined with the desired letter, viz, P. When the arrow 3 engages with the letter P the grooves 11 and 15 are in alinement, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The looking rivets 8, however, are. out of alinement with the aline'd grooves. Thereupon rotation of the casing member 2 to theleft, until the arrow 3 is alined. with the next appropriate letter, as in this instance 'E,'the locking rivets 8 will thenbe alined with the notches 11 and 15, as shown in 4, whereupon the casing parts 1 and 2 may be separated, money withdrawn, and the parts replaced. on rotating the casing member 2 to the second letter,the lug 21 is disengaged from the lug 9 'leaving the notches 11 and 15 in alinement, as will be readily appreciated from a glance at the drawings. When the parts are replaced, viz, with the letter E in alinement with the arrow 3, the locking rivets will again enter between the notches. 11 and 15, and thereupon rotation of the casing 2 past the letter P will again disaline the notches 11 and 15 and the locking rivets 8, and" the bank is then in-locked position, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and rendering it impossible to open the bank until further manipulation of the correct combination.

By providing the spring means 1 1, the disc or plate 12 is alwaysheld under equal tension, and cannot rotate except upon engagement of the lug" 21 with the h1g9, or vice versa. p v

The operation of my novel bank, from the operators standpoint will be readily und rstood, and will be very simple tocarry out. For example, the purchaser buys the bank with the combination letters P, E, or any other pair of letters adapted to operate the combination, he deposits a desired amount of money in the bank, and when it is.

desired to withdraw the same, takes the member 1 in onehandand the member 2 in the other hand, rotates themember2 two complete revolutions to the right, stopping at the letter P, then reverses the rotation of the member 2 until the letter E is'in alinement with thearrow' 3, whereupon the two members 1 and 2 may beseparated from each other, permitting ready withdrawal of the contents of the bank. He thereupon closes the same by pressing the members 1' and 2 together and. revolves the member 2 ineithe'r direction, thus disali ning'the locking instrumentalities and locking the bank until. it is desired to open same.

While have necessarily described my present invention somewhat in detail, it will be appreciated that I may vary the size, shape, and arrangement of parts, within reasonably wide limits without departing from thespirit of the invention. 7

My invention is further described and defined. in the form of claims as follows 1. A device of the kind. described, comprising a pair ,ofrotatable casing members, a sleeve afiiXed to one of said casing members, looking rivets on said sleeve, a ring atfixed theother casing member and having notches therein, a rotatable spring pressed plate secured to said other casing member and having notches therein, means operable upon rotation of one of "said casing members to bring the notches in said ring and plate into alinement to permit passage of the lockingrivets through said notches, and separation of said casing, members.

2. A device of the kind described, comprisinga pair of rotatable casing members,

a sleeve affixed to one of said casing members, locking rivets on said sleeve, a fixed lug on said sleeve, a ring affixed in the other casing member andhaving notches therein, a rotatablelspringf pressed plate secured to said other casing member and having notches therein, a lug on said plate, said lugs engaging on rotation of one of said casing members to a predetermined position to bring said notches into a1inement,to permit passage of said locking rivets through said notches upon rotation of said casing member to a second predetermined position.

3. A device of the kind described, comprising a pair of rotatable casing members, a sleeve aflixed to the interior of one of said members, an inturnedflange at the bottom of said sleeve, locking rivets affixed to and depending from said flange, a lug projecting inwardly from said flange, a flanged rin affixed in the other casing member and having notches therein, a rotatable spring pressedv plate secured to said other casing member and having notches therein, an upturned lug on said plate, said lugs being adapted to engage, on rotation of one of said casing members to a predetermined position, to bring said notches into alinement, said locking rivets being adapted to be brought into alinement With said alined notches upon rotation of said casing member to asecond predetermined position, to permit passage of said rivets through said notches.

name to this specification.

WILFRED' E. TAIT. 

